History and Strangers' Sacrifices

20170823 slowwalker

I found a poem in my computer.
It was taken into the photo for several months ago when I had visited a war memorial far away from Seoul.

It is one of my hobby to look around the museum and the historical sites. At that time that poem was very impressive, so I took a photo.

Here I typed that poem.

The Death of A Friend

-omitted-

The Sergeant told us to leave as we could no longer hold
We made a dash to Paul’s hill our movement were fast and bold
As we climbed the hill under fire looking for a route to escape
I spied a soldier in a foxhole and he was wearing Paul’s smiling face
We smiled and shook hands and in the ribs we gave each other a poke
I had one Philip Morris cigarette that I broke in half for us to smoke

But soon we saw the mortar shells getting closer with each round
We leaped from that foxhole to seek safety on higher ground
We started shooting immediately as we saw the enemy reach the crest
In the flash of a moment Paul was mortally wounded
In the head and in the chest
What a nightmare to see my friend dying such a horrible death

Oh Father
why did I have to suffer through this awful gruesome test
For I was there from the start to his dying and tearful end
I hugged my dearest buddy my companion and closer friend
His ashen face took on the mask of death
I was there when my dearest friend took his final dying breath

Oh paul, my dearest friend
if I could sit down with you and drink a toast I would touch you glass
and know that never again to a man would I ever be as close
But one thing I’ll do for you that I promised after that fight
I’ll pray for you forever my friend as long as God gives me the night.

This poem was written in memory of author’s dearest friend Paul Larson, who died in the first combat in Korean War on July 5 1950.

Joseph A. Langone, Paul’s friend, wrote this poem in June 1995 nearly 45 years later.

When I read this poem in the museum, some kinds of strong feeling seemed to hit me on my head. I know 34000 US soldiers were Killed in Action in Korean war. But I had known that numbers as the numbers.
While reading a poem, the numbers came into my mind not as a number but as a life that had suffered pain of death in the war.

There was a monument outside of the museum in memory of the first combat of US army in
Korea.

The name of the battle was a Chukmiryeong battle where one infantry battalion, known as Smith Task Force, had engaged in. General MacArthur sent them to stop the communist military attack to gain times to establish the defense line in Nackdong River.

Some history book had wrote that they were defeated in the Chukmuryeong battle.

They couldn’t stop the enemy attack, the size of all most infantry Division. To stop the offense of the Division with a battalion is not normal order. In this order, I could read General MacArthur’s strong will, with the sacrifice of a battalion to attain time to deploy the main force from US across the sea. So it was an impossible mission at very beginning. But Smith Task Force had resisted more than 12 hours in the Chukmiryeonееg battle at the cost of the soldiers’ sacrifice.

What did Paul think at his last moment ? Parents were waiting for his homecoming. He might be teenager. In the hometown, his girlfriend was supposed to be waiting for him.

Joseph A. Langone who wrote that poem, must’ve remembered the moment of a death of his friend’s.

There were the inscription around the monument.

I heard that there was an original monument cross the road.

The original monument was a humble one.

On my way home, Paul’s death in Korean war made me think that history of Korea was composed of so many incidents including the strangers’ miserable sacrifices.

I was so sorry to Paul and his family.
I have a son 21 years old. I could understand the feeling that Paul's parents felt.

We are standing on that sacrifices.